


Missing Moments

by nishikaze



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 00:18:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17254070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nishikaze/pseuds/nishikaze
Summary: As the newly arrived Paladins seek the Yellow and Green Lions, Allura learns a bit about Earth from a quiet, watchful, and very observant Keith.





	1. No Time for Tears.

**Author's Note:**

> We all now know that the leadership for Voltron team was severely lacking and the multiple writers with little direction killed so much for the show. There were dropped plot lines and character arcs that should have been. There were missing conversations that would have made the series so much better and more cohesive. This series is to voice my vision for those missing conversations one at a time.

_At least he was quiet_ , she thought as she went over the castles systems while the newly arrived Paladins retrieved the Green and Yellow Lions.

These alien children, with the exception of the one known as Shiro, were noisy and enthusiastic, strange and primitive but they were the Paladins the Lions chose. She was going to have to understand them better if they were going to work together.

She could start with this one.

Keith, that was his name, was reserved and watchful and made an effort not to get in the way, even while he watched, closely, what was going on. It was almost unnerving, his focus as he waited. It got to the point where she couldn’t _not_ speak to him as she was hyper aware of his presence. Besides, her curiosity was getting the better of her. The new Paladins were of a race she’d never seen before and she wanted to learn more.

”So…” She spoke up turning to him, hoping to break the ice. “What was the name of your planet again?”

”Earth.” he answered matter-of-factly and didn’t elaborate.

 _Okay…_ She thought to herself. _I guess I’m going to have to try harder._ “So what is Earth like? How did you find the Blue Lion? You all seem to know each other, how did you meet?”

”Earth is… Home.” He shrugged, “Mostly water with a variety of climates. I don’t really have a lot to compare it to, as humans haven’t met any other alien life as far as we are aware. Well, until now of course." He paused for a moment. "I met Shiro because of the Garrison, he recruited me. I know _of_ Lance and Hunk, we used to be classmates. I never met Pidge until Shiro crash landed back on Earth in an Galra ship.”

“What is this _Garrison_?” She asked.

”A training facility for space pilots and engineers. Lance and I were in the pilot program. Hunk was an engineer and I assume so was Pidge.”

"You said _used to_ were you no longer at the Garrison?" Allura asked.

Keith blushed and avoided her eyes, "I, uh, got myself kicked out."

Allura grew nervous, "Why?" She drawled.

"I punched an instructor when he insulted Shiro." He mumbled.

Allura's mouth dropped open for a moment as she met Coran's gaze. _This was the one I chose for my father's lion?_ Leading the conversation she changed the topic. ”And the Blue Lion?” She continued.

”Found it in the desert near my dad’s old property.”

”A desert? The Blue Lion’s powers are aquatic in nature. I would have thought it would have been in an ocean at least.” Coran interrupted as he worked the front control panel.

”10,000 years ago that desert was an ocean. It dried up after the last great ice age.” Keith answered.

”Oh,” Allura said as the conversation stagnated.

She was about to turn back to the control panel when Keith spoke again, so softly it was hard to hear, “I’m sorry.”

”Pardon?” Allura turned back to Keith.

”I said I was sorry.” He spoke a little louder this time.

Allura blinked. “For what?”

Keith looked down at the floor as his hand came back up to scratch the back of his head. “I’m sorry you lost your people, your planet. I know what it’s like to lose, but I can’t imagine loosing that much. You’re still holding it together though. You’re amazing.”

Allura’s eyes grew wide and she blinked back the tears as the rush of her loss began to overwhelm her. _Not now_. “I have a job to do.” Was all she said, the sorrow would come later. She turned away and took a few steadying breaths before she met Coran’s understand eyes and finally got control of her tears.

”I understand.” Keith nodded. “How can I help?”

”There’s not really much you can do right now,” Coran answered, “Just be ready to move as soon as we find the Red Lion.”

Keith nodded again, determination in his eyes. “I will.”

 

Notes: So the series didn't really address the shock value early on of just how much Coran and Allura lost. They just happily went to work. Talking to the alien in the room and taking that moment to consciously not grieve but work past the pain would have humanized her a bit more.

So what do you think? Please comment!


	2. The Traitor Among Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith dreads telling Allura his shameful secret.

To say Keith felt like absolute dirt was the understatement of the year.

It wasn’t just the fact he’d been fighting for more than 20 hours straight and had gotten the crap kicked out of him six ways from Sunday. It wasn’t the royal mind-screw he’d been put through or the fact he’d almost destroyed their first opportunity to gain a potentially valuable ally. It wasn’t even the shame he felt for being so selfish as to put his need to know before the needs of his team and Voltron.

He was the knowledge that _he_ was the enemy. He was **Galra**.

He was a member of the race of monsters that slaughtered Allura’s entire race.

Yes, he knew not all Galra were bad. Uloz wasn’t. He saved them and Shiro. These Marmora guys didn’t seem so bad either.

He snuck a glance at Kolivan and Antok, where they stood behind him, masks up. Were they friends? They thought Uloz was a fool for freeing Shiro, but had Uloz not acted the Blue Lion would have been found by the Galra.

He turned back to the view screen and focused on his flying. Every muscle in his body hurt and he was beyond exhausted but it was the empty pit in his stomach, the dread of facing Allura that hurt the most.

Taking a steadying breath he safely piloted the Lion out of the gravity well and to where the Castle waited.

Flying into his bay he landed but didn’t stand. Antok and Kolivan moved to the back of the cockpit but still Keith didn’t move, the tight grip on the controls his only outward sign of distress.

A hand on his shoulder pulled him out of his revelry. Keith flinched but didn’t look up until Shiro spoke his name. “Keith. You can do this. It’ll be okay. I’m with you.”

Keith nodded and stood not looking at Shiro’s sympathetic eyes. It took every bit of willpower he had to move, every muscle in his body screaming.

Keith and Shiro departed the Lion first and Kolivan and Antok followed. Kolivan stepped forward and bowed. The rushing sound in Keith’s ears blocked out Allura's voice and all the conversations he’d had with her just a few short days ago ran on repeat in his head.

Kolivan announced the time to act was now and mentioned his reasoning. Coran and Allura nodded. Shiro touched his shoulder again and told them all it was thanks to Keith that the Marmora agreed to help them all. Lance scoffed and Allura smiled.

Her smile destroyed him. He blinked back the tears of shame as his knees gave out, his will no longer enough to keep his wounded body upright. Shiro called out as he caught Keith’s falling form. 

It was then Allura noticed the bruises and the other Paladins gasped, Lance darting forward to support Keith from the opposite side.

Allura turned on Kolivan in anger. “What did you do to him?!!!”

”Stop.” Keith called out getting her attention. With Shiro’s support he stood straight again and looked Allura in the eyes. “None of this is their fault. I did this. It was my choice. I demanded answers, I got them, the hard way.”

”Answers?” Allura said her eyes widening and she took in just how badly Keith was wounded. “What answers? What question was so important it warranted you being beaten up so badly?”

Keith took a shaky breath and pulled out his knife. Looking up at Coran he spoke. “Remember when I asked if the Galra could have been on Earth? I know for a fact at least one Galra was.” He unwrapped the knife’s handle with shaking hands revealing the glowing purple mark. “My father used to carry this around when I was a kid. He told me once, that it was mine and eventually, when I was old enough, he would give it to me and tell me about it.” Keith paused before he could continue, “He… He died before I got my answers. When I turned 18, the knife was given back to me, along with what was left of dad’s things.” Coran gasped as he viewed the Galra mark and Allura’s eyes widened.

”Allura. When I saw Uloz’s blade I recognized it. Had he lived I would have asked him about it but…” He paused and shrugged. “I tried to learn more about it in the space mall but when that gave me more questions than answers I started to worry. I started to feel like I was endangering the team by having it.”

He groaned, his body struggling for air out of anxiety rather than pain as he forced himself to continue. “I learned, from them,” He nodded at Kolivan, “That this blade is special. That the metal reacts to Galra blood like nothing else,” Keith focused and activated the blade. It grew larger and longer in his hands. Allura gasped as did the rest of the Paladins. Allura’s hands came up to cover her mouth and her eyes were wide with disbelief as the realization built in her mind. “ I… I’m part Galra.”

Keith forced himself to watch her as her eyes turned from shock to anger. He could see all their conversations, all her anger toward the Galra buzz through her head. He could feel her pain, her betrayal more acutely than all the bruises and contusions covering his body. Her hands came down and gripped into fists before her eyes shuttered. Her expression changed to icy as she turned away.

The Paladins looked confused, their eyes darting between Allura and Keith, not sure what to do or think. Finally Shiro spoke up. His voice was soft and comforting but to Keith the softness was like daggers to his heart. “We need to get Keith into a healing pod. He’s been through a lot.” He looked to the distracted Lance under Keith’s other arm, “Lance, will you help me?”

Lance nodded absently, not looking Keith in the eyes.

Shiro turned to Kolivan and Allura. “Kolivan has vital intell on the Galra that we need in input into our database. Once that’s done we can start working on a plan to defeat Zarcon. Coran?”

The older man, silent until now, looked startled but recovered quickly. “Yes.. of course. Follow me to the bridge.” He motioned for the Galra to follow and they did.

Hunk and Pidge followed Keith, Shiro and Lance to the infirmary leaving Allura alone in the hanger bay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Lance and Shiro have a conversation about Keith's time in the Garrison.


End file.
